England v South Africa
Boks wary of England's rush defence
Tom Hamilton
November 12, 2014
South Africa's Cobus Reinach spins the ball out in training, Latymer Upper School, November 11, 2014
Cobus Reinach starts at scrum-half for the Springboks © Getty Images
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Springboks coach Heyneke Meyer is wary of England's rush defence and is adamant there is no shift in expectations ahead of Saturday's match despite opting to rotate his squad.

South Africa head into Saturday's game off the back of a defeat in Ireland last weekend and Meyer has made five changes to his XV for the match at Twickenham. Like England, Meyer has called on his side to improve their game management and he will also spend much of the next year focusing on their ability to play in the rain.

While that should not be an issue for Saturday's Test, though never trust the English weather, Meyer is adamant there will be no excuses made if the Springboks lose despite his decision to rotate their squad. "We have a good enough squad to win in every single game" was Meyer's view on the players at his disposal though Saturday's match will be a chance for some to put down their own markers for a spot in South Africa's World Cup squad.

"There are only 31 guys going to the World Cup, we've got unbelievable depth, the next three games are going to be vital," Meyer said. "I believe the Rugby Championship is a totally different style of rugby, there are bonus points, open running rugby, this is like World Cup finals every time. Four tough games, we needed something like this. It is going to test our character and our depth.

"The guys have to step and show they can do it under pressure. And the main thing which I don't think we've been good at as a team is playing in wet conditions. We don't face it too often in South Africa. We have time to fix it before the World Cup. It's totally different: more arm-wrestle, more physical at the breakdown, you have to be very good in defence, it's always within three to four points you have to be disciplined and use every opportunity and we'll see which players can do that."

The Springboks are unbeaten in their last 11 Tests against England but Meyer is wary of Stuart Lancaster's side, despite their relative inexperience, and has targeted their scrum and line defence as potential dangers.

"If you play against England, it doesn't matter how many injuries they have, they are quality players," Meyer said at a press conference on Wednesday. "We don't target one individual; we respect the guys we play against but we focus on our own play. The opposition will always be great, there aren't many weaknesses in Test match rugby.

 
"There is an unbelievable atmosphere and it is a pressure cooker."
 

"Northern hemisphere games are normally within three to five points so you have to look at your own game. I wasn't happy with the silly penalties we gave away [against Ireland] so we have to be much more disciplined, it was unacceptable to give away silly penalties. Six points is the difference between winning and losing. Our week is about coping with the pressure, it's about how we keep the ball, it's about how we make decisions in the right areas.

"We don't target specific guys but England's scrummaging is very good, you saw what they did to the All Blacks. We will also face their very good rush defence. They've probably kicked more than they've kicked previously but they've got the best line of defence and line speed. At the breakdown, they kick a lot of balls and make a mess. It will be a challenge."

England will be going into the match off the back of defeat to the All Blacks and while Meyer does not feel these games will have much of a bearing on next year's World Cup, he wants his players to get accustomed and relish the pressure cooker of Twickenham.

"We are fired up for every game, but it's always special playing England. It is always a special occasion. The guys have lot of respect for England and for us it's a huge honour to play at Twickenham, one of the best stadia in the world, with an unbelievable crowd and when the singing starts I know its inspiring for England but sometimes it is for us as well. That's why you coach. There is an unbelievable atmosphere and it is a pressure cooker. Even if we'd won by eight points last weekend, the guys would have been really motivated to play England."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd
Tom Hamilton is the Associate Editor of ESPNscrum.

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